New Yarn Shipment

I finally got the beautiful yarn I ordered from NeedleFood just before it closed. It had been a touch delayed owing to the recent earthquakes in Christchurch, but it finally made it over the ditch, and I was glad to hear the owner and her family were safe and well.

I had gone a little nuts and ordered six yarns. I figured, when would I have this opportunity again? They were closing after all! But the one I was most looking forward to was called Pukeko. (second from the right – not visible on the blog *headdesk* I’m working on it!)

Named after a small blue swamp hen, and having the same colours as it’s namesake, I had met one of these birds only last xmas when visiting New Zealand.

As is the way with hand dyes yarns, the colours are given to pooling in often unflattering ways when knitted into a garment. There are several ways you can combat this when it’s not the effect you’re after. Knitting from both ends of the same ball each alternate row springs to mind. But that wasn’t what I wanted to do.

Having seen a few other peoples projects in this yarn on Ravelry, I knew it would be a LOUD knit, and I wasn’t let down!

But I found a pattern where you carry the yarn and then pick it up again in later rows, thus creating a visual break in the pooling. It’s called Leyburn Socks and it’s by Minty Fresh.

On the left you see the bottom of one sock and the pooling effect of the colours in the yarn. On the right, the top of the foot with the carried yarn.